Ingredients
Every Crown Reserve product is made from whole herbs and plant oils, infused slowly and bottled by hand in Maryland. The herbs and carrier oils we infuse are organic. Nothing we make contains silicones, sulfates, parabens, mineral oil, petrolatum, synthetic fragrance, or artificial dye.
This page lists every single ingredient we use, what it is, where it comes from, and why it is in the bottle. If you are the kind of person who reads labels before you buy, this page is for you.
The short version
- The oils are organic herbs infused into plant carrier oils for four months. That is the entire formula. No water, no preservative, no filler.
- The flaxseed gel is organic flaxseed and organic slippery elm brewed into a gel. Because it contains water, it also contains a small amount of preservative. More on why below.
- Never used: silicones, sulfates, parabens, mineral oil, petrolatum, synthetic fragrance, artificial color.
- Made in: Maryland, in small batches, by hand.
Are Crown Reserve products organic?
Here is the honest answer. The herbs and carrier oils we infuse are organic, and the flaxseed and slippery elm in the gel are organic. The finished products are not certified organic, because certification applies to a facility and a finished formula, not to the ingredients that go into it.
The gel also contains three things that are not botanical: vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, and a preservative called Optiphen Plus. We could leave the preservative out and call the gel all natural. We will not, and the reason is in the section below.
The carrier oils
These are the oils the herbs get infused into. They are chosen to be light, because heavy oils sit on top of textured hair instead of going into it.
| Oil | Botanical name | Why it is in there |
|---|---|---|
| Grapeseed Oil | Vitis vinifera | The lightest of the group and the base of most blends. Absorbs quickly instead of sitting on the strand. |
| Jojoba Oil | Simmondsia chinensis | Structurally the closest plant oil to the sebum your own scalp produces, so it spreads easily without feeling greasy. |
| Avocado Oil | Persea gratissima | One of the few oils small enough to move into the hair shaft rather than coat the outside of it. |
| Sweet Almond Oil | Prunus amygdalus dulcis | Softening and rich in vitamin E. This is a tree nut. |
| Amla Oil | Phyllanthus emblica | An Ayurvedic staple used in Indian hair care for centuries. |
| Olive Oil | Olea europaea | Conditioning, and one of the oils shown to penetrate rather than just coat. |
| Coconut Oil | Cocos nucifera | Used in small amounts. Penetrates well, but too much of it makes fine hair stiff. |
| Castor Oil | Ricinus communis | Thick and sealing. Used sparingly, because castor oil in quantity is what makes an oil feel heavy. |
The scalp herbs
These are infused into the Crown Reserve Scalp Oil, our 12 herb blend for dry scalp, edges, and density.
| Herb | Tradition it comes from | What it is traditionally used for |
|---|---|---|
| Rosemary | Mediterranean and European | The most widely studied herb in scalp care. Traditionally used to stimulate the scalp. |
| Bhringraj | Ayurvedic | Called the king of herbs for hair in Ayurveda. A cornerstone of Indian scalp oils. |
| Nettle | European folk medicine | Traditionally used for scalp health and shedding. |
| Amla | Ayurvedic | Indian gooseberry, extremely high in vitamin C. Used for strength and shine. |
| Black Seed | North African and Middle Eastern | Nigella sativa. Used across the Middle East and North Africa for scalp comfort. |
| Brahmi | Ayurvedic | Traditionally paired with bhringraj in Indian hair oils. |
| Ginseng | Traditional Chinese medicine | Used in Chinese and Korean scalp preparations. |
| Saw Palmetto | Native American, southeastern United States | A traditional botanical in thinning hair preparations. |
| Neem | Ayurvedic | Used for scalp cleanliness and comfort. Also why the oil has a green, herbal smell. |
| Clove | Indonesian, via the spice trade | Warming. Traditionally used on the scalp for circulation. |
| Lemongrass | Southeast Asian and Caribbean | Clarifying, and part of what gives the oil its scent. |
| Tea Tree Oil | Aboriginal Australian | Melaleuca. Long used for scalp cleanliness. |
| Peppermint Oil | European and North American | The tingle you feel when you apply it. Cooling on a tight scalp. |
| Vitamin E | Tocopherol | An antioxidant. It keeps the oils from going rancid, which is how an unpreserved oil stays good. |
The length and strength herbs
These are infused into Strands + Ends, the sealing oil for mid lengths and ends.
| Herb | Tradition it comes from | What it is traditionally used for |
|---|---|---|
| Chebe | Chadian, from the Basara women | The best known length retention tradition in the world. Chebe is not a growth herb. It is used to keep hair from breaking so length accumulates. |
| Fenugreek | Ayurvedic and North African | Methi. Traditionally used for strength and slip. |
| Moringa | West African and Ayurvedic | The drumstick tree. Used for conditioning. |
| Horsetail | European folk medicine | One of the highest natural sources of silica. |
| Amla | Ayurvedic | Also used here for shine and strength. |
| Brahmi | Ayurvedic | Conditioning through the lengths. |
| Star Anise | Traditional Chinese medicine | Aromatic. Part of the scent profile. |
| Vitamin E | Tocopherol | Antioxidant and natural shelf life. |
What is in the flaxseed gel
The gel is the only Crown Reserve product that contains water, and that changes everything about how it has to be made.
| Ingredient | What it does |
|---|---|
| Distilled Water | The base. Distilled, not tap, because tap water brings minerals and microbes with it. |
| Organic Flaxseed | The actual gel. Simmered whole and strained, which is where the slip and the curl clumping come from. |
| Organic Slippery Elm | Adds slip and softness so the gel does not dry stiff. |
| Vegetable Glycerin | A humectant. It pulls moisture from the air into the hair. |
| Xanthan Gum | A natural thickener made by fermenting sugar. It stabilizes the texture so the gel does not separate. |
| Raw Honey | A humectant, and mildly antimicrobial. This is why the gel is not vegan. |
| Jojoba Oil | A small amount, for softness and to cut down flaking. |
| Avocado Oil | Conditioning, and helps the gel dry soft instead of crunchy. |
| Peppermint Essential Oil | Scent, and a light cooling feel on the scalp. |
| Apple Cider Vinegar | Brings the pH down into the 4.5 to 5.5 range, which is where the hair cuticle lies flat. |
| Optiphen Plus | The preservative. See directly below. |
Why is there a preservative in the gel when the oils have none?
Because the gel contains water and the oils do not. That is the whole reason.
Bacteria and mold need water to grow. An oil has none, so it cannot support that growth, and vitamin E is enough to keep it from going rancid. A flaxseed gel is mostly water and plant sugars, which is close to an ideal growing medium. A homemade flaxseed gel with no preservative starts growing things within about a week in the refrigerator, and you often cannot see it before you put it on your scalp.
We use Optiphen Plus at a small percentage. It is paraben free and formaldehyde free. We would rather tell you exactly what is in the jar and why than sell you an all natural gel that is quietly unsafe by the time it reaches you.
What is not in Crown Reserve
- No silicones. Nothing ending in cone, conol, or xane. Silicones make hair feel smooth by coating it, and that coating builds up.
- No sulfates. Nothing here is a cleanser, but it is worth saying.
- No parabens.
- No mineral oil or petrolatum. These sit on the outside of the strand and never absorb.
- No synthetic fragrance. Everything you smell is the herbs and the essential oils.
- No artificial color. The oils are green and gold because the herbs made them that way. Color varies from batch to batch, and that is normal.
Allergy and safety information
- Tree nut warning. All three oils contain sweet almond oil, which is a tree nut. If you have a tree nut allergy, do not use them.
- The gel contains raw honey, so it is not vegan.
- Patch test before first use. Apply a small amount to the inside of your forearm and wait 24 hours.
- For external use only. Avoid contact with eyes. Discontinue use if irritation occurs.
- For cosmetic use only. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
- If you are pregnant, nursing, or being treated for a scalp condition, check with your doctor first. Essential oils in particular are worth asking about.
Still have a question about an ingredient?
Email us and ask. A real person reads it, and if you want to know why a specific herb is in a specific bottle, that is a question we like getting.